January 4: ON THIS DAY in 1933, Gov. Lehman prepares New York for legalized beer

January 4, 2019 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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ON THIS DAY IN 1933, the Eagle reported, “Gov. Herbert H. Lehman recommended to the Legislature today that it enact legislation at this session to provide the machinery for licensing and distributing beer in anticipation of congressional action in the spring legalizing the beverage. Lehman’s recommendation that the state prepare for the return of beer brought the first applause from his audience of legislators and a hundred or so spectators. The crowd applauded again at the end of the reading … Turning to the possibility of a beer tax helping to lift the burden of the state’s $130,000,000 deficit, Lehman advocated the appointment of a small commission with a moderate appropriation to make an immediate study of legislation for taxing and distributing the beverage, reporting back to the Legislature not later than Feb. 15. ‘From all present indications, it is probable that some legislation will be enacted by Congress during the current year, modifying existing laws relation to prohibition,’ said the governor.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1849, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “A writer in the Buffalo Advertiser express the conjecture that Col. [John C.] Fremont, who recently resigned his position in the army and left St. Louis with a numerous and carefully picked party for California, on his own resources, was well aware of the immense gold deposits on his route, and goes with the intention of enriching himself and his party therefrom.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1853, the Eagle reported, “The annual renting of the pews in Plymouth Church (Rev. Mr. Beecher) takes place this evening. A certain sum is assessed on each pew as the price of its occupation for a year, and the choice is then put up at auction. The auction takes place this evening, and those who wish eligible seats should be on hand. The letting commences at seven o’clock.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1898, the Eagle reported, “Red balls on all the cars and telephone messages flitting hither and thither followed by the unfurling of the big flag at the Willink entrance to the park a few minutes past 10 o’clock this morning and the news was soon disseminated all over town: ‘The park lakes are frozen and open to the public.’ The hearts of the skaters and the organs that full that duty for the trolley companies were accordingly buoyant and the immigration to the scene of the sport soon began. ‘It’s the best ice we’ve had in ten years,’ said Proprietor Dorlon of the amusement pavilion at the park soon afterward. ‘It is from four to six inches thick over all the lakes and it will take a warm spell indeed to break it up.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1919, the Eagle reported from Paris, “Brooklyn’s 106th Inf. is going to arrive home on our about February 1. It will come with the entire 27th Division, made up of the former National Guard regiments of New York State and comprising many Brooklyn and Long Island men in addition to those included in ‘Brooklyn’s Own.’ The 106th and the 27th Divisions today received the sailing orders that will bring them home by the first of next month and, included in the announcement of the orders, there was an indication that all the regiments making up the division would be mustered out early in February at their own armories.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1955, the Eagle reported, “Assembly minority leader Eugene F. Bannigan of Brooklyn will personally sponsor a bill legalizing bingo within seven days of passage as soon as the Legislature convenes tomorrow, it was learned today. The bingo bill, a fulfillment of a campaign pledge by Governor [Averell] Harriman, will spark one of the bitterest – and possibly the longest – fights between the new administration and the Republican leaders who marshal the deciding votes in both legislative chambers. Under the reported provisions of the Bannigan bill, bingo will not actually be made constitutional right away. But the criminal penalties for running the games of chance would be removed, in much the same manner as the [Herbert] Lehman administration ‘legalized’ bookmaking at race tracks while pari-mutuel betting was slowly being made constitutional.”